Jeff Siegel’s Santa Anita “What You Need to Know.”
Friday, April 26,2024
Specifically designed for the rolling exotic player, Jeff Siegel’s “What You Need to Know” isolates those horses that should be included in daily doubles, pick-3s, pick-4s, pick-5s, and the pick-6.
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The selections are posted at 6:00 a.m. and updated later in the morning to reflect late scratches and changes (approximately 10:30 a.m.). For additional commentary, follow us on twitter @jsiegelracing.
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Grade Descriptions: Grade A=Highest degree of confidence; Grade B=Solid Play. Grade C=Least preferred or pass; Grade X=probable winner but likely at odds too short to play.
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RACE 1: Post: 1:00 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: 3-Moment’s Pleasure; 4-I’llhaveanotherkiss
Backups/savers: 1-Marinas Tina.
Forecast: Moment’s Pleasure was a bit green early but found extra energy in the final furlong before graduating in game style sprinting over the local lawn in her first outing since August. She galloped out well to provide expectation that today’s added distance can be within her range, and with any kind of forward move the daughter of Clubhouse Ride should be capable of successfully standing this raise in class. Her numbers are rising, and the pace projection says she might be able to inherit a good pace pressing trip. Illhaveanotherkiss stretches out again after finishing a solid runner-up in a Hillside dash facing first level allowance ranks. She’s entered for $50,000, suspiciously so, but on pure numbers she’s competitive, though a mile so far has proven to be a bit out of her range.
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RACE 2: Post: 1:30 PT Grade: A-
Main Ticket: 5-Mr. Leasure
Backups/savers: none.
Forecast: Mr. Leasure has been away since November but returns in a $50,000 maiden claimer as a first time Lasix user and a first time gelding for a barn that has solid stats with layoff runners, so in a modest affair we’re expecting the son of Distorted Humor to have no difficulty handling this assignment. The Doug O’Neill-trained sophomore has looked quite good in his recent comeback drills and in a field lacking speed he should find himself on or near the lead throughout.
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RACE 3: Post: 2:03 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: 8-Belly Up
Backups/savers: 5-Forty Niner Gold; 7-Please Focus.
Forecast: Belly Up is a sharp Bay Area invader fresh from a career top effort when second in a fast, productive first level allowance sprint in early January. A recent healthy work tab should have him fit and ready for his high percentage outfit. The son of Into Mischief is unproven on grass but his good Tapeta form at Golden Gate Fields gives hope that the surface switch won’t be an issue.
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RACE 4: Post: 2:33 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 2-Dorita Rose
Backups/savers: none.
Forecast: Donita Rose improved her Beyer speed figure by 20 points in her second career start but had to settle second behind razor sharp runaway next out winner Whimsical Heir while well clear of next out winner Ryder’s Candy in a fast, highly rated and productive race at this level. She gets a major jockey switch to Juan Hernandez, shows three easy breezes at San Lis Rey Downs to tick her over, and is a logical rolling exotic single.
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RACE 5: Post: 3:04 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: 4-Rostovsky
Backups/savers: 7-Uncle Reg.
Forecast: The first timer Rostovsky caught the eye in company with recent debut maiden special weight winner Jane Austin in a gate drill March 25 and more than held his own while stride-for-stride throughout. The Liam’s Map gelding is realistically spotted by a barn that strikes at 23% with a considerable flat bet profit with debut runners, so in an open grass grab bag for maiden $50,000 turf sprinters the M. Glatt-trained sophomore should be a very live item.
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RACE 6: Post: 3:35 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: 6-Parenting; 10-Santarena.
Backups/savers: none.
Forecast: Here’s a salty maiden special weight sprint with several highly promising entrants, and it should take a very good colt to win it. Parenting, a first time starter by Justify, breezed in :10 flat before bringing $750,000 through the ring at the 2023 OBS April sale but it’s taken a year for the B. Baffert-trained colt to make it to the races. Recent workouts indicate he is loaded with talent and should have him plenty fit for a top effort first crack out of the box. A bullet :59 flat gate work (fastest of 47) was accomplished without company and sans urging, so this looks like an excellent prospect capable of winning at first asking. Santarena displayed plenty of speed in his first two outings, both of which earned stronger than par speed figures. Second in his most recent outing while well clear of the rest, the son of Omaha Beach has an experience edge over our top pick that could make a winning difference.
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RACE 7: Post: 4:06 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: 2-Lunar Impact
Backups/savers: 4-Speed Lane; 5-Leisurewear (Ire).
Forecast: Lunar Impact stayed on gamely when a close fourth in the much tougher Wishing Well Stakes down the Hillside Course last time out and stretches out again today to a distance she’s proven she can handle. Against this considerably lesser field, the English-bred filly projects to enjoy an ideal pace stalking/pressing trip and then have every chance when the pressure is turned on from the quarter pole home. She is reunited with “win rider” L. Dettori and is solid in the speed figurer department.
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RACE 8: Post: 4:37 PT Grade: B
Main ticket: 6-Sugar Fish; 2-Fayette Fox.
Backups/savers: none.
Forecast: Sugar Fish demolished a modest field in a high priced maiden claiming extended sprint last month while earning a career top speed figure and today stretches out around two turns for the first time to a distance she’s certainly bred to handle. We’re expecting the J. Mullins-trained sophomore filly to settle early and tag the leaders late. Fayette Fox was a bit rusty when a steady third sprinting at this level in her first outing in more than a year. She’s proven to be effective routing, so with that tightener under her belt the V. Cerin-trained filly should be primed for a significant forward move. Top pilot J. Hernandez rides her back and should have her in an ideal, second flight early position, ready to pounce.
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RACE 9: Post: 5:08 PT Grade: B+
Main ticket: 4-Zafiro Anejo
Backups/savers: none.
Forecast: Zafiro Anejo was given a very easy run in his first start since his debut in the spring of 2022 in Kentucky and didn’t run badly at all in a turf sprint at this level, settling off the pace and then winding up third, beaten less than five lengths without being knocked about. We’re expecting a much more serious effort today from the son of Kantharos, who continues to train like a decent type and one that should enjoy the stretch out in trip. Low percentage connections notwithstanding, there’s a good gamble available in a what looks to be a below average field for maiden $50,000.
